Most consumer decisions I make usually are loaded with a generous dollop of guilt - how sustainable is the product? Is it organic? Was it shipped here using petroleum? Was it manufactured in sweatshop conditions? Does it contain partially hydrogenated whatever? I have been increasingly guilty about my penchant for French wines. I love my Côtes du Rhônes and I trust the French agricultural tradition of no GMO's and traditional harvesting methods, less use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, etc. But with Napa and Sonoma situated in SF's backyard, I have become increasingly guilty every time I plop a bottle from France or Spain in my shopping cart. It seems silly after all. But even with this green craze we're experiencing, few wineries advertise themselves as organic. I found out recently that many California wines are organic, but because it's so costly to get the official seal of organic certification, the wineries just don't bother, which leaves the consumer to do his/her own research on the issue.
A coworker who used to be a wine seller showed me this blog posting on Green LA Girl's site, which lists a bunch of the organic and biodynamic California wines, their price ranges and what she thought of them. I think it's a helpful guide and it will relieve the guilt from my Trader Joe's runs, and add some excitement to my search for new local favorites!
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16 comments:
2 Buck Chuck all the way!
Oh, wait, is that from California?
The problem is that you don't know where it's from, and if the grapes have been heavily sprayed with pesticides, or if they are GMO, or how much sulfites have been added. I've realized that I get allergies after drinking certain California wines because of the added sulfites.
thanks for the link - see, LA is not all bad ;) I'd like to add one Mendo wine to Green Girl's list: Parducci, the first carbon neutral winery!
jenken
2 buck chuck? Yuck. I'm a Cali Red drinker myself. I love wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma. My favorite is SKN Cab...is this one ok, KT?
Parducci is strange because they advertise as "sustainable" but say nothing about organic practices. Why don't you look into that? In terms of Screw Kappa Nappa, listen, I'm no expert. You'll have to do the research there. I simply do not enjoy imbibing pesticides and added sulfites.
P.S. I never said LA was all bad. There are certain things I like about LA. I feel a list coming on...
how can you not like 2 buck chuck?
Here's a quiz for you -- what is the one organic wine from California that is also *vegan*?
(i.e. no animal products during the process of fining...)
if someone "fines" more than one, let me know....
Isn't Frey vegan?
Easy. I don't like 2 buck chuck. It gives me an allergy. And it's nothing to write home about. Except that it costs 2 bucks.
So given my rant about buying local, I must confess that I went to a local wine merchant in Berkeley today and found a biodynamic white from Savoie (which is rare to find here) for $8 a bottle. I heart French wines. I allow myself certain guilty pleasures.
hey, you're right. Frey is vegan. how is it? never tried it. tried savoie -- i prefer organic whites to reds anyway. but i did taste a couple of biodynamic reds at a winery in France last summer (i was on official business i swear it). i think the name of the winery was Chapoutier. i didn't take anything home because the wine retailed for about 100 euros a bottle (low end). i mean jeeze, the wine wasn't *that* good...besides, i would have had nobody to enjoy it with.
since we don't get California organic wines here in Cairo, i'm stuck with the French, Lebanese and South Africa ones. but come May, i'll be going back to Cali too!
I guess buying from Lebanon, France and South Africa are as local as you can get in Egypt! Maybe Greece or Italy too. I heard Croatia makes some pretty decent vinos!
Hey, LT, here's a list of vegan wines, FYI.
Thanks KT. This should help us when we move there in May.
California wines, whether it's the higher level of alcohol or what I don't know, always give me a horrible headache.
Maybe it gives you a headache because you're a cat! I suggest sticking to bonito!
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